Belgium has an annual birth rate of 9.4 births per 1,000 people, compared to 9.5 for Sweden. The average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime — the fertility rate, is 1.47 in Belgium and 1.45 in Sweden — 1.36% difference.
1960 vs 2023, the fertility rate has decreased by -42.1% in Belgium and by -33.2% in Sweden — in 1960, it was 2.54 and 2.17, respectively.
Birth rates facts compared:
- Belgium is ranked 155/196 by birth rate compared to 153/196 for Sweden.
- The mean age for first-time mothers is 29.5 years in Belgium, compared to 30 years in Sweden.
- The mean age at childbearing (for all the births, not just the first) is 31.2 in Belgium — it's 31.7 in Sweden.
- Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 (adolescent birth rate or teenage mother rate) is 3.67 in Belgium vs 1.79 in Sweden.
- In Belgium, 21.5% of the population is composed of women of reproductive age (15-49), compared to 21.3% in Sweden.
- Excluding migration, the natural population change due to births and deaths from 2022 to 2023 was +0% in Belgium and +0.05% in Sweden.
Birth rate data compared
Belgium
|
Sweden
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Fertility rate | 1.47 | 1.45 |
| Birth rate | 9.4 | 9.5 |
| Birth rate rank | 155/196 | 153/196 |
| Age at first childbirth | 29.5 years | 30 years |
| Average age at childbearing | 31.2 years | 31.7 years |
| Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 | 3.39 | 1.63 |
| Annual births per 1,000 women ages 20-29 | 55.9 | 54 |
| Annual births per 1,000 women ages 30+ | 15.4 | 18.4 |
| Female of reproductive age (15-49), share of population | 21.5% | 21.3% |
| Any modern method of contraceptive prevalence among married women ages 15-49 | 65.4% | n/a |
| Share of births attended by skilled health staff | 99.3% | 100% |
| Maternal mortality per live birth | 0.004% | 0.004% |
| Neonatal mortality rate (before reaching 28 days of age) | 0.21% | 0.14% |
| Infant mortality rate (before reaching 1 year of age) | 0.3% | 0.2% |
| Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births | 0.36% | 0.25% |
| Population change due to births and deaths | +0 | +5,269 |
| Natural population change rank | 157/196 | 125/196 |
| Natural population change rate | +0% | +0.05% |
| Population growth | +0.76% | +0.31% |
| Population growth rank | 119/197 | 148/197 |
| Life expectancy | 82.4 years | 83.6 years |
Fertility rate in Belgium vs Sweden chart
According to the latest available data on birth rates, the fertility rate in Belgium was 1.47 children per woman in 2023, compared to 1.45 in Sweden in 2023. The replacement level is considered to be 2.1 children per woman.
Check Belgium vs Sweden population clock for a dynamic visualization of the changing population.
The chart below showcases historical changes in the birth rates.
Belgium
Factual
UN forecast
Sweden
Factual
UN forecast
Births per woman
| Year | Fertility rate | |
|---|---|---|
|
Belgium
|
Sweden
|
|
| 1960 | 2.54 | 2.17 |
| 1961 | 2.63 | 2.21 |
| 1962 | 2.59 | 2.25 |
| 1963 | 2.68 | 2.33 |
| 1964 | 2.71 | 2.47 |
| 1965 | 2.61 | 2.39 |
| 1966 | 2.52 | 2.37 |
| 1967 | 2.41 | 2.28 |
| 1968 | 2.31 | 2.07 |
| 1969 | 2.27 | 1.93 |
| 1970 | 2.25 | 1.92 |
| 1971 | 2.21 | 1.96 |
| 1972 | 2.09 | 1.91 |
| 1973 | 1.95 | 1.87 |
| 1974 | 1.83 | 1.87 |
| 1975 | 1.74 | 1.77 |
| 1976 | 1.73 | 1.68 |
| 1977 | 1.71 | 1.64 |
| 1978 | 1.69 | 1.6 |
| 1979 | 1.69 | 1.66 |
| 1980 | 1.68 | 1.68 |
| 1981 | 1.66 | 1.63 |
| 1982 | 1.61 | 1.62 |
| 1983 | 1.57 | 1.61 |
| 1984 | 1.54 | 1.66 |
| 1985 | 1.51 | 1.74 |
| 1986 | 1.54 | 1.8 |
| 1987 | 1.54 | 1.84 |
| 1988 | 1.57 | 1.96 |
| 1989 | 1.58 | 2.01 |
| 1990 | 1.62 | 2.13 |
| 1991 | 1.66 | 2.11 |
| 1992 | 1.65 | 2.09 |
| 1993 | 1.61 | 1.99 |
| 1994 | 1.56 | 1.88 |
| 1995 | 1.56 | 1.73 |
| 1996 | 1.59 | 1.6 |
| 1997 | 1.6 | 1.52 |
| 1998 | 1.6 | 1.5 |
| 1999 | 1.62 | 1.5 |
| 2000 | 1.67 | 1.54 |
| 2001 | 1.67 | 1.57 |
| 2002 | 1.65 | 1.65 |
| 2003 | 1.67 | 1.71 |
| 2004 | 1.72 | 1.75 |
| 2005 | 1.76 | 1.77 |
| 2006 | 1.8 | 1.85 |
| 2007 | 1.82 | 1.88 |
| 2008 | 1.85 | 1.91 |
| 2009 | 1.84 | 1.94 |
| 2010 | 1.86 | 1.98 |
| 2011 | 1.81 | 1.9 |
| 2012 | 1.8 | 1.91 |
| 2013 | 1.76 | 1.89 |
| 2014 | 1.74 | 1.88 |
| 2015 | 1.7 | 1.85 |
| 2016 | 1.68 | 1.85 |
| 2017 | 1.65 | 1.78 |
| 2018 | 1.62 | 1.76 |
| 2019 | 1.6 | 1.71 |
| 2020 | 1.55 | 1.67 |
| 2021 | 1.6 | 1.67 |
| 2022 | 1.53 | 1.53 |
| 2023 | 1.47 | 1.45 |
| 2024 | 1.47 | 1.45 |
| 2025 | 1.48 | 1.46 |
| 2026 | 1.49 | 1.46 |
| 2027 | 1.49 | 1.47 |
| 2028 | 1.5 | 1.47 |
| 2029 | 1.51 | 1.48 |
| 2030 | 1.51 | 1.48 |
| 2031 | 1.52 | 1.49 |
| 2032 | 1.52 | 1.49 |
| 2033 | 1.53 | 1.49 |
| 2034 | 1.53 | 1.5 |
| 2035 | 1.54 | 1.5 |
| 2036 | 1.54 | 1.5 |
| 2037 | 1.54 | 1.51 |
| 2038 | 1.55 | 1.51 |
| 2039 | 1.55 | 1.51 |
| 2040 | 1.56 | 1.52 |
| 2041 | 1.56 | 1.52 |
| 2042 | 1.56 | 1.53 |
| 2043 | 1.57 | 1.53 |
| 2044 | 1.57 | 1.53 |
| 2045 | 1.57 | 1.53 |
| 2046 | 1.57 | 1.53 |
| 2047 | 1.58 | 1.54 |
| 2048 | 1.58 | 1.54 |
| 2049 | 1.59 | 1.54 |
| 2050 | 1.59 | 1.54 |
Children 0-14 years as share of population
Belgium
Factual
UN forecast
Sweden
Factual
UN forecast
| Year | Share of people 0-14 years old | |
|---|---|---|
|
Belgium
|
Sweden
|
|
| 1960 | 23.7% | 22.4% |
| 1961 | 23.8% | 22% |
| 1962 | 23.8% | 21.5% |
| 1963 | 23.9% | 21.2% |
| 1964 | 23.9% | 21% |
| 1965 | 24% | 20.9% |
| 1966 | 24% | 20.9% |
| 1967 | 23.9% | 21% |
| 1968 | 23.9% | 20.9% |
| 1969 | 23.8% | 20.9% |
| 1970 | 23.6% | 20.8% |
| 1971 | 23.5% | 20.8% |
| 1972 | 23.3% | 20.8% |
| 1973 | 23% | 20.7% |
| 1974 | 22.6% | 20.7% |
| 1975 | 22.2% | 20.7% |
| 1976 | 21.8% | 20.6% |
| 1977 | 21.4% | 20.5% |
| 1978 | 21% | 20.3% |
| 1979 | 20.6% | 19.9% |
| 1980 | 20.3% | 19.6% |
| 1981 | 19.9% | 19.2% |
| 1982 | 19.6% | 18.9% |
| 1983 | 19.4% | 18.6% |
| 1984 | 19.1% | 18.3% |
| 1985 | 18.8% | 18.2% |
| 1986 | 18.6% | 18% |
| 1987 | 18.3% | 17.9% |
| 1988 | 18.2% | 17.8% |
| 1989 | 18.1% | 17.8% |
| 1990 | 18.1% | 17.9% |
| 1991 | 18.2% | 18.1% |
| 1992 | 18.2% | 18.4% |
| 1993 | 18.1% | 18.6% |
| 1994 | 18.1% | 18.8% |
| 1995 | 18% | 18.9% |
| 1996 | 17.9% | 18.8% |
| 1997 | 17.8% | 18.7% |
| 1998 | 17.7% | 18.7% |
| 1999 | 17.7% | 18.6% |
| 2000 | 17.6% | 18.4% |
| 2001 | 17.5% | 18.3% |
| 2002 | 17.5% | 18.1% |
| 2003 | 17.3% | 17.9% |
| 2004 | 17.2% | 17.7% |
| 2005 | 17.1% | 17.4% |
| 2006 | 17% | 17.1% |
| 2007 | 16.9% | 16.9% |
| 2008 | 16.9% | 16.7% |
| 2009 | 16.9% | 16.6% |
| 2010 | 16.9% | 16.6% |
| 2011 | 17% | 16.7% |
| 2012 | 17% | 16.8% |
| 2013 | 17% | 17% |
| 2014 | 17% | 17.2% |
| 2015 | 17% | 17.3% |
| 2016 | 17% | 17.5% |
| 2017 | 17% | 17.7% |
| 2018 | 16.9% | 17.8% |
| 2019 | 16.9% | 17.8% |
| 2020 | 16.8% | 17.7% |
| 2021 | 16.7% | 17.7% |
| 2022 | 16.5% | 17.5% |
| 2023 | 16.3% | 17.2% |
| 2024 | 16% | 17% |
| 2025 | 15.7% | 16.7% |
| 2026 | 15.4% | 16.4% |
| 2027 | 15.1% | 16.2% |
| 2028 | 14.9% | 15.9% |
| 2029 | 14.6% | 15.6% |
| 2030 | 14.4% | 15.3% |
| 2031 | 14.2% | 15.1% |
| 2032 | 14% | 14.8% |
| 2033 | 13.8% | 14.5% |
| 2034 | 13.6% | 14.3% |
| 2035 | 13.5% | 14.1% |
| 2036 | 13.4% | 13.9% |
| 2037 | 13.3% | 13.8% |
| 2038 | 13.3% | 13.8% |
| 2039 | 13.3% | 13.8% |
| 2040 | 13.4% | 13.8% |
| 2041 | 13.4% | 13.8% |
| 2042 | 13.5% | 13.9% |
| 2043 | 13.5% | 13.9% |
| 2044 | 13.6% | 14% |
| 2045 | 13.7% | 14.1% |
| 2046 | 13.8% | 14.1% |
| 2047 | 13.8% | 14.2% |
| 2048 | 13.9% | 14.3% |
| 2049 | 13.9% | 14.4% |
| 2050 | 13.9% | 14.4% |
Children aged 0-14 make up 16% of the population in Belgium and 17% in Sweden in 2024, compared to 18.1% and 17.9% respectively in 1990.
Natural population change in Belgium vs Sweden by year
For the past 10 years, the annual natural population change (excluding migration) has been +0.06% in Belgium and +0.2% in Sweden. The chart below illustrates the comparison of the absolute yearly changes resulting from births and deaths.
Belgium
Sweden
Natural population change
| Year | Population change due to births and deaths | |
|---|---|---|
|
Belgium
|
Sweden
|
|
| 1960 | 40,275 | 27,693 |
| 1961 | 52,349 | 30,832 |
| 1962 | 42,414 | 30,246 |
| 1963 | 41,804 | 35,741 |
| 1964 | 51,580 | 45,968 |
| 1965 | 39,748 | 44,857 |
| 1966 | 36,206 | 45,286 |
| 1967 | 31,618 | 41,700 |
| 1968 | 20,199 | 30,858 |
| 1969 | 21,221 | 23,904 |
| 1970 | 23,173 | 30,563 |
| 1971 | 21,281 | 31,583 |
| 1972 | 18,451 | 28,428 |
| 1973 | 11,690 | 24,409 |
| 1974 | 7,818 | 23,664 |
| 1975 | 0 | 14,746 |
| 1976 | 1,964 | 8,222 |
| 1977 | 8,847 | 7,426 |
| 1978 | 7,872 | 4,138 |
| 1979 | 11,818 | 4,976 |
| 1980 | 10,845 | 5,818 |
| 1981 | 11,831 | 1,664 |
| 1982 | 7,885 | 1,665 |
| 1983 | 2,956 | 833 |
| 1984 | 4,927 | 3,335 |
| 1985 | 2,958 | 4,175 |
| 1986 | 5,917 | 9,206 |
| 1987 | 11,844 | 11,757 |
| 1988 | 14,853 | 15,186 |
| 1989 | 13,912 | 24,629 |
| 1990 | 19,935 | 29,100 |
| 1991 | 22,010 | 29,299 |
| 1992 | 20,090 | 28,605 |
| 1993 | 14,118 | 20,924 |
| 1994 | 12,139 | 20,196 |
| 1995 | 11,150 | 9,710 |
| 1996 | 12,188 | 1,768 |
| 1997 | 12,218 | -3,539 |
| 1998 | 9,183 | -3,541 |
| 1999 | 9,203 | -6,201 |
| 2000 | 12,302 | -2,662 |
| 2001 | 11,315 | -1,779 |
| 2002 | 7,233 | 893 |
| 2003 | 7,263 | 6,271 |
| 2004 | 16,673 | 9,893 |
| 2005 | 15,718 | 9,030 |
| 2006 | 21,096 | 15,436 |
| 2007 | 23,376 | 15,552 |
| 2008 | 22,491 | 18,439 |
| 2009 | 23,752 | 21,387 |
| 2010 | 23,970 | 25,320 |
| 2011 | 25,388 | 21,733 |
| 2012 | 18,882 | 20,943 |
| 2013 | 16,739 | 23,041 |
| 2014 | 21,297 | 26,179 |
| 2015 | 11,274 | 23,518 |
| 2016 | 14,731 | 25,800 |
| 2017 | 10,238 | 24,138 |
| 2018 | 7,999 | 23,403 |
| 2019 | 8,042 | 25,697 |
| 2020 | -12,692 | 14,495 |
| 2021 | 5,793 | 22,914 |
| 2022 | -2,336 | 10,487 |
| 2023 | 0 | 5,269 |
Fertility rates around the globe
Fertility rate
Maternal mortality chart: Belgium vs Sweden
The maternal mortality rate, which is the probability of dying during childbirth or within 42 days of pregnancy termination, is 4 deaths per 100,000 live births in Belgium, compared to 4 deaths in Sweden.
Belgium
Sweden
| Year | Maternal mortality per 100K births | |
|---|---|---|
|
Belgium
|
Sweden
|
|
| 1985 | 9 | 8 |
| 1986 | 9 | 8 |
| 1987 | 9 | 8 |
| 1988 | 9 | 9 |
| 1989 | 9 | 9 |
| 1990 | 9 | 8 |
| 1991 | 9 | 8 |
| 1992 | 9 | 8 |
| 1993 | 9 | 8 |
| 1994 | 9 | 7 |
| 1995 | 9 | 7 |
| 1996 | 9 | 6 |
| 1997 | 8 | 6 |
| 1998 | 8 | 6 |
| 1999 | 8 | 6 |
| 2000 | 8 | 5 |
| 2001 | 8 | 5 |
| 2002 | 7 | 5 |
| 2003 | 7 | 5 |
| 2004 | 7 | 5 |
| 2005 | 7 | 5 |
| 2006 | 6 | 5 |
| 2007 | 7 | 5 |
| 2008 | 6 | 5 |
| 2009 | 6 | 5 |
| 2010 | 6 | 5 |
| 2011 | 6 | 5 |
| 2012 | 5 | 5 |
| 2013 | 6 | 5 |
| 2014 | 5 | 5 |
| 2015 | 5 | 5 |
| 2016 | 5 | 5 |
| 2017 | 5 | 5 |
| 2018 | 5 | 5 |
| 2019 | 4 | 4 |
| 2020 | 4 | 5 |
| 2021 | 7 | 5 |
| 2022 | 11 | 5 |
| 2023 | 4 | 4 |
Under-five mortality rates
The chance that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five is 0.36% in Belgium and 0.25% in Sweden. Below is the historical data on under-five mortality rates.
Belgium
Sweden
Probability that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five
| Year | Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births | |
|---|---|---|
|
Belgium
|
Sweden
|
|
| 1960 | 3.39% | 1.96% |
| 1961 | 3.25% | 1.92% |
| 1962 | 3.12% | 1.86% |
| 1963 | 3% | 1.79% |
| 1964 | 2.89% | 1.71% |
| 1965 | 2.79% | 1.63% |
| 1966 | 2.7% | 1.56% |
| 1967 | 2.62% | 1.49% |
| 1968 | 2.55% | 1.44% |
| 1969 | 2.48% | 1.39% |
| 1970 | 2.39% | 1.34% |
| 1971 | 2.3% | 1.29% |
| 1972 | 2.19% | 1.23% |
| 1973 | 2.08% | 1.16% |
| 1974 | 1.97% | 1.09% |
| 1975 | 1.86% | 1.03% |
| 1976 | 1.76% | 0.98% |
| 1977 | 1.67% | 0.94% |
| 1978 | 1.59% | 0.9% |
| 1979 | 1.52% | 0.87% |
| 1980 | 1.45% | 0.84% |
| 1981 | 1.39% | 0.82% |
| 1982 | 1.33% | 0.8% |
| 1983 | 1.27% | 0.78% |
| 1984 | 1.22% | 0.77% |
| 1985 | 1.18% | 0.76% |
| 1986 | 1.14% | 0.75% |
| 1987 | 1.1% | 0.74% |
| 1988 | 1.07% | 0.73% |
| 1989 | 1.03% | 0.72% |
| 1990 | 1% | 0.7% |
| 1991 | 0.96% | 0.66% |
| 1992 | 0.92% | 0.62% |
| 1993 | 0.87% | 0.57% |
| 1994 | 0.82% | 0.52% |
| 1995 | 0.77% | 0.48% |
| 1996 | 0.72% | 0.46% |
| 1997 | 0.67% | 0.44% |
| 1998 | 0.64% | 0.42% |
| 1999 | 0.61% | 0.41% |
| 2000 | 0.59% | 0.41% |
| 2001 | 0.57% | 0.4% |
| 2002 | 0.55% | 0.4% |
| 2003 | 0.53% | 0.39% |
| 2004 | 0.52% | 0.37% |
| 2005 | 0.5% | 0.36% |
| 2006 | 0.49% | 0.35% |
| 2007 | 0.48% | 0.33% |
| 2008 | 0.47% | 0.32% |
| 2009 | 0.46% | 0.31% |
| 2010 | 0.45% | 0.31% |
| 2011 | 0.44% | 0.3% |
| 2012 | 0.43% | 0.3% |
| 2013 | 0.42% | 0.29% |
| 2014 | 0.42% | 0.29% |
| 2015 | 0.41% | 0.29% |
| 2016 | 0.41% | 0.28% |
| 2017 | 0.4% | 0.28% |
| 2018 | 0.4% | 0.27% |
| 2019 | 0.39% | 0.26% |
| 2020 | 0.39% | 0.26% |
| 2021 | 0.38% | 0.25% |
| 2022 | 0.37% | 0.25% |
| 2023 | 0.36% | 0.25% |
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